In the deep south of the Croatian coastline is the Dubrovnik region whose centre, the city of Dubrovnik, in Croatia and across the world bears the title of the "Pearl of the Adriatic". The harmony of the centuries-old buildings and the walls girdling the city are like a fairy tale apparition created for enjoyment. Why visit this part of Croatia? Because anyone who does not is poorer for a visit to a part of heaven on earth and the "second best place in the world" - since the first is always the place you hail from.

It is hard to say what makes the Dubrovnik area fascinating: its history marked by the centuries in which the city has flown a flag bearing the word "Libertas" (freedom) or its present day role of a tourist Mecca consisting of a series of picturesque places on the coast and the islands, telling their stories and legends to guests and the chance traveller, always ready to walk you through many centuries in just a few short steps. History in this area lives to this day in the beauty of the buildings and the magnificent artwork left to posterity by renowned sculptors, painters and builders. Just as much so in small places like Ston on the Pelješac peninsula, Korčula, Župa dubrovačka, Konavle or Trsteno as in Dubrovnik itself. In building summer residences and villas the hand of man and nature appear to have gone hand in hand combining the beauties of nature with those of architecture and horticulture. The end result is one of the today most impressive places on the Mediterranean.

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik - the city of a unique political and cultural history (the Dubrovnik Republic, the Statute from 1272), of world-famous cultural heritage and beauty (inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO) - is one of the most attractive and famous cities of the Mediterranean. Apart from its outstanding natural beauties and well-preserved cul-tural and historical heritage, Dubrovnik also offers high-quality visitor opportunities. It is also the city of hotels, of high ecological standards and tourist programs, and is equally attractive in all seasons. Its geographical isolation is compensated by high traffic and communication standards - especially through air traffic and fast hydrofoil boats. The tourist development of Dubrovnik started before the First World War; quite soon, the exclusiveness of its attractions made Dubrovnik a powerful international tourist centre. The sightseeing of Dubrovnik and its monuments requires several days. However, already a walk through Stradun, through narrow streets and small squares, monumental ramparts and fortreses, provides enough opportunities to experience the millennial beauty of its shell-shaped urban core, centuries of building, stone-cutting, carving and engraving, the history of the Duke's Palace, libraries, the oldest pharmacy in the south of Europe, etc. Dubrovnik offers individual choice among numerous museums and galleries, which contain the jewels of Croatian heritage. The Dubrovnik Museum in the Duke's Palace keeps 15,500 exhibits in its cultural and historical department. A collection of furniture from the 17th-19th century, uniforms of dukes and councillors, aristocratic garments and many other items are exhibited in the authentic halls of the palace. The Maritime Museum (situated in the fortress Sveti Ivan) has a number exhibits on a permanent display, related to the maritime affairs of Dubrovnik and Croatia on the whole, with a particular emphasis on the history of the Dubrovnik Republic. The museum of the Franciscan monastery keeps all inventories of the old pharmacy, as well as the works of Dubrovnik jewel-lers, painters and embroiders. The museum of the Dominican monastery exhibits valuable examples of Dubrovnik painting from the 15th and the 16th centuries, as well as sculptures, jewellery, manuscripts, incunabula and notes (music). The treasury of the Dubrovnik cathedral keeps the relics of St. Blaise, patron of Dubrovnik, and numerous paintings and works of art. The Rupe Ethnographical Museum presents traditional occupations and the rural architecture of the region of Dubrovnik, national costumes and hand-made textiles. Very attractive is also the Aquarium of the Institute of Biology, situated in the fortress Sveti Ivan, comprising interesting marine species. Dubrovnik has a number of churches, monasteries and hotels scattered all over the town. Its coastal belt is adorned with several marinas, piers and promenades. Because of a magnificent view on the mediaeval Dubrovnik, a walk along the town ramparts is a must for each visitor. A great number of Dubrovnik restaurants and taverns offer delicious specialities of local and international cuisine. Sports and recreational facilities include playgrounds, courts and requisites for all sports in the sea and on the ground, from tennis and table tennis to sailing and yachting. There are also several gyms and fitness centres with swimming pools, saunas, massage, aerobics, solarium, box gyms, etc. Dubrovnik is famous for quality hotels. Most of them are situated on the Lapad peninsula and in the area of Ploce, southeast of the old town. The hotel complex Dubrava - Babin Kuk on Lapad has all features of a small town. It has a shopping centre, a bank, an out-patient department, many restaurants and cafés, and a street called the "New Stradun", which connects all hotels. Dubrovnik is the city of an outstanding cultural and artistic life. The most important event in the cultural life of the city is the Dubrovnik Summer Festival (10th of July - 25th of August), traditionally held since 1950. It is a theatre and classical and folk music festival, since 1956 included in the calendar of world festivals and as such one of the most famous cultural events in the world. Concerts and other performances take place on open stages in the town (Gunduliceva Poljana, Drziceva Poljana, Lovrijenac, Revelin) or in beautiful interiors of the most famous buildings (Duke's Palace, cloisters, churches). The repertoire includes works of Croatian and world classics, performed by the leading personalities from Croatia and abroad, including a number of world-famous actors, directors, conductors, etc. So far several hundreds of them have performed in Dubrovnik. An important part of the Festival are performances of local (Lindo, Lado) and foreign folk music ensembles. The artistic life of Dubrovnik is characterized by numerous exhibitions taking place throughout the year. Apart from already renowned galleries - the Art Gallery (Put Frana Supila 23), its exhibition space Luza Art Centre (Stradun), Sebastian - occasional and permanent exhibitions are also held in other spaces as well. Very famous are also Dubrovnik carnival festivities - so-called Dubrovnik "karnevo" (local variant of the word "carnival"), held ever since the early Middle Ages, when they were brought from the neighbouring Italy. Another important event is the Feast Day of St. Blaise, also the Day of Dubrovnik (3rd of February). The feast takes place for the whole week, including religious ceremonies, a procession through the town, concerts, sports events, entertainment and carnival programs. Excursions to Dubrovnik during that week are regularly organized. In the vicinity of Dubrovnik, in the gorge of the Ombla river, is Miho Pracat ACI Marina; it has 450 berths in the sea and 250 places on the land. Boaters may also use Dubrovnik Marina. DUBROVNIK, a town, port and tourist centre of the southern Croatian coast. It lies at the foot of the limestone Srd Mount (412 m), in a valley enclosed to the south-west by the Lapad plateau and a smaller reef with the oldest part of Dubrovnik. The ancient town core was connected with the suburban zone on the other side of the valley by levelling and filling up of a marshy valley between the Gruz Bay in the north and Stari Porto (Old Port) in the south, as well as by the construction of the Placa (Stradun). Stradun thus became the centre of the town and its main street, connecting two opposite town gates: the Ploce Gate in the east and the Pile Gate in the west. Upon the construction of the port in the Gruz Bay, Gruz was gradually annexed to Dubrovnik and became an integral part of the town. Later on, Dubrovnik extended also to the Lapad peninsula, to lower parts of the Srd slopes and outside the town ramparts toward Zupa. The climate of Dubrovnik is characterized by warm and dry summers and mild winters. The average air temperature in the coldest month (February) is 4.6 °C and in the warmest month (August) 26.2 °C. The cold half of the year accounts for 68 % of the total annual rainfall; the spring accounts for 29, the summer for 14, the autumn for 26 and the winter for 37 rainy days out of the total number of 105 rainy days. Snow occurs extremely rarely; with 2,554 hours of sunshine a year, Dubrovnik ranks among the sunniest towns of southern Europe. In July it has 12.4 hours of sunshine a day, like Alexandria in Egypt. The vegetation is subtropical and extremely luxuriant (olives, almonds, citrus fruit, rosemary, laurel, holm oak, pine, stone pine, cypress). Southeast of the old part of the town is a tourist zone called Ploce (hotels and beaches), west of it is Lapad (sports facilities, hotels, beaches, walking trails), while northwest of it is the Gruz port and Gruz. Economy is based on tourism and seafaring. The town has a number of cultural and educational institutions: the Nautical College, the Tourist College, the University Centre for Postgraduate Studies of the University of Zagreb, the Institute of History of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and other. Dubrovnik has a town port, the port of Gruz and a marina. The old town port is protected by the Porporela breakwater; yachts drawing up to 3 m may dock in it; smaller ships are docked in the cove of Gornja Bocina. The port of Gruz is a trading port, situated 2.5 km northwest of the ancient town core of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik Marina is located in Komolac, in the interior part of Rijeka Dubrovacka, about 4 km from the entrance to the port of Gruz. Dubrovnik is located on the main road (M2, E65). The Dubrovnik airport is located in Cilipi.

National parks

MLJET - The Island of MLJET is situated in the far South of Croatia, west from Dubrovnik, Croatia's best known summer resort. A national park of the same name includes a western part of, according to some, the most beautiful island in the Adriatic. The Park is characterised by two deep bays which are called lakes due to their very narrow passages to the open sea (Veliko and Malo jezero/ the Great Lake and the Small Lake), and lush and diversified Mediterranean vegetation.

Nature park

LASTOVSKO OTOČJE - Its name in written sources, given in the forms Ladesta and Ladeston, is first mentioned by lexicographer Steven of Byzantium (based on Teopompus from the 4th century BC): The Romans gave the island a grander name: Augusta insula, meaning Imperial Island. In the Middle Ages it is recorded as Augusta, Lagusta and Lagosta, while at the same time, via the Romanic version Lasta, a shortening of the original Ladesta with the appended Slavic suffix –ovo gave the present name. Under the Slavic name to Lastovon it is first mentioned, in Greek in the mid 10th century, by Byzantine Emperor and writer Constantine Porfirogenet, which confirms that it was already inhabited by Croats at the time.

Central Dalmatia: Split region

Both culture and history were generous to these parts in providing inspiration to artists who from as far back as the antiquity created their art in the stone, walls and palaces of its towns and urban centres, in buildings made of stone that are one of the most memorable characteristics of central Dalmatia. Today these towns and urban centres offer both peace and solitude and joyous, noisy nights rich with the spirit of the Mediterranean south. Works in stone, marble and wood created in central Dalmatia from the antiquity to the present day never remained only inside the churches and museums of the region, but are to this day found on the houses, facades and in the historical cores of the cities, mostly built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles – true masterpieces of urban culture. Nowhere can one, like in central Dalmatia, in a 30 km radius find two cities under UNESCO protection and listed in the register of World Culture Heritage: Diocletian's Palace and the historical core of the city of Trogir.

Spectacular works of art in stone have been left to posterity, like the portal of the Trogir cathedral, sculpted by the hand of Master Radovan in the year 1240. Bonino of Milan, Juraj Dalmatinac, Andrija Aleši and Nikola Firentinac all left their greatest works in stone here. The walnut-wood doorframe of the Split cathedral made by master Andrija Buvina in 1214 are a part of the history of European Romanesque wood sculpting. The Split cathedral itself is the oldest building housing a Catholic cathedral in the world, as one part of it emerged from the Mausoleum built by Emperor Diocletian. The wealth of tradition in the arts in this region, based on the work of those who came before and who found inspiration here for their most beautiful works of art, has spawned many a great name, like that of Emanuel Vidović, Croatia's best known painter at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The pinnacle of sculpting was reached by Ivan Meštrović who hailed from Otavica near Drniš, his works grace museums and galleries around the world. In Split itself, besides a series of works at the Meštrović Gallery, there is his celebrated bronze monument to Bishop Grgur of Nin located at the north portal to Diocletian's palace. Legend has it that wishes are fulfilled if one touches the big toe of his foot. Within the former Imperial Palace, Split also has the smallest street in the world, called "Pusti me proći" (Let Me Pass) because only one person can move along it at a time.

Split

Split is not only an urban, cultural and traffic centre of Dalmatia with road and sea connections to Dalmatia's numerous summer resorts, but it is itself often a tourist and excursionists destination. A city with a 1700-year old tradition, a variety of archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, among which the well-known Palace of Diocletian, inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List, certainly occupies a special position, and the warmth and offer of a modern Mediterranean city. The first detailed tourist guide through the town and its surroundings, published in 1894, bears witness to the long tourist tradition in Split.

UNESCO - Diocletian's palace in Split

The Roman Emperor Diocletian spent his declining years in an enormous palace that he had built near his birthplace, Aspalthos, in Dalmatia. With the passing centuries the original architecture of the palace has been altered, but the people of the city, later called Spalato, and then Split, were able to use the structure of the palace, damaging it as little as possible, under Byzantine, Venetian and Austro-Hungarian rule. Thus, a harmonious city came into being within the Roman walls. The peristyle of the palace, Diocletian's mausoleum, Jupiter's temple, the colonnades along the streets, Early Croatian churches, Romanesque houses, the gates of Andrija Buvina and architectural works by Juraj Dalmatinac have remained in a good state.

Nature park

BIOKOVO, a mountain along the central part of the Dalmatian coast. In the north-west, the Dupci Pass (288 m) separates Biokovo from the Omis part of Dinara Mountain; in the south-east, a steep limestone mountain range continues all the way to Bacina, i.e. to the area around the Neretva mouth (36 km long, up to 9.5 km wide). Biokovo descends toward the sea in very steep and bare limestone rocks, under which is a narrow and green littoral belt. Major peaks include: Sv. Ilija (St. Elias) (1,640 m), Sibenik (1,314 m), Stropac (1,145 m), Vrsac (1,411 m), Sinjal (1,333 m). Only a couple of trails for people and animals lead along limestone cliffs. Sparse forests, barren karst valleys and scanty pastures offer rather limited resources. Permanent and temporary water sources appear on the point of contact between limestone rocks and the Primorje flysh zone, important for the villages and crop farming. Coastal settlements developed in the 19th century (Makarska, Baska Voda), winning an important role in traffic and trade after the construction of roads around Biokovo. In recent times, beauties of the landscape under Biokovo and tameness of its littoral attract many foreign visitors, facilitating thus a more rapid development of tourism. Biokovo offers several moun---tain lodges: the mountain lodge under Vosac, another one under the Sveti Jure peak and the "Slobodan Ravlic" lodge at Lokva. The Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotisina has been established (1984) above the village of Kotisina, a horticultural monument (16.5 hectares) aimed at nature conservation, i.e. protection and cultivation of the Biokovo plant life. Access from the coast: Makarska - Makar - Vosac - Sveti Jure (5 hrs 30 min); Makarska - Tucepi - Staza - Sveti Jure (asphalt road, 31 km). The religious feast at the chapel of St. George (on the very top of Sveti Jure) is held on the last Saturday in July.

Hvar is the town of a unique cultural and historical heritage but also an important tourist resort with a centuries-old tradition in tourism. Main attractions are pleasant climate, a lot of sunshine, natural be-auties, various accommodation facilities, gastronomic offer, sports and recreational opportunities, etc. Hvar is frequented both in the summer and winter months, and its very special climate favo-ured the development of health tourism. Accommodation facilities include hotels, apartments, boarding houses and campsites. Sports and recreational opportunities are excellent - tennis, table tennis, basketball, boccia, bowling, water sports (equipment rented). Hvar is famous for its very specific climate with a lot of sunshine, very few rainy days and almost no snow at all. As a rule, hotel guests pay only half a price if it is raining for the whole day and nothing at all if it is snowing (which occurs almost never). Hvar is very much appreciated by those who are keen on bathing in the sea, although there are indoor swimming pools with heated seawater. Tourists are much attracted by a visit to the Pakleni Islands, a small archipelago in front of the Hvar port, where one may enjoy the sun and the sea in one of the solitary, wooded coves. Restaurants and taverns in the town of Hvar offer excellent fish specialities, with exquisite local wines.

Among interesting souvenirs and products of Hvar one should emphasize a unique kind of lace made of agave fibres, which may be bought in the mo-nastery of Benedictine nuns, as well as the famous Hvar lavender, either in form of dried flowers or oil, which may be used as a medicine, fragrance or moth repellent, and rosemary oil.

Central Dalmatia: Sibenik region

Monuments of culture and history to this day bear witness to the long period of settled life in the region and to the building skill of the region's inhabitants, among which the antiquity period sites of Bribirska glavica and Roman-era Skardon stand out, as does the Šibenik fortifications of St. Michael, St. Ivan Šubićevac and St. Nicholas – the Knin fortress. The Šibenik Fortress itself was built in the 9th century while the city is first mentioned in 1066 in a donation made by Croatian King Petar Krešimir on account of which Šibenik is to this day called the City of Krešimir. The city was founded by Croatians more than a thousand years ago.

The city's streets and squares preserve some of the most valuable works of art in Dalmatia among which are counted the city hall, a masterpiece of Croatian architecture while St. Jacob's Cathedral, the 15th century master work of Juraj Dalmatinac is on UNESCO's list of protected monuments of world historical heritage. It was built over a period of 105 years entirely of stone from the islands of Brač and Korčula. Šibenik was the first city to coin its own money under Venetian rule.

The picturesque town of Primošten was built on an island during the time of Turkish conquest and was protected by walls, towers and a retractable bridge linking it to the mainland. The isthmus was later filled with land, turning Primošten from a small island into a peninsula.

Šibenik

The historic town of Sibenik, connected with the expansion and development of the early Croatian state, is rich in cultural and historical monuments. The most representative among them is the famous Cathedral of Sibenik, one of the most original architectural projects of the late Middle Ages, primarily linked to the local master Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac (George of Dalmatia). Sibenik is today a tourist centre situated in the area where the best-indented archipelago in Europe (Islands of Kornati) and karst hydrographical phenomena (Skradinski Buk, Visovac, Roski Waterfall) merge into the ecologically and aesthetically most attractive tourist and recreational zone on the Croatian Adriatic. Šibenik is the birthplace of one of the greatest world basketball players Drazen Petrovic.

UNESCO - Šibenik Cathedral

The cathedral located in Sibenik, the Cathedral of Saint Jakov, is a three-aisled basilica with three apses and a cupola (interior height 32 m). Construction of the cathedral was begun in the Venetian Gothic style, but was completed in the Toscana Renaissance style. More than 15 decades ensued from the time the decision was made to commence construction, from 1402 up to its final consecration in 1555. Construction began in 1431 on the site of an earlier, smaller cathedral that had been destroyed, and material from that smaller edifice was used in the construction of the cathedral. Stone for its building was brought from the islands of Korcula, Susak, Brac, Rab and Krk.

National parks:

KORNATSKI OTOCI (Kornati Islands), archipelago is the most indented island group in the Mediterranean, situated in North Dalmatia, not far from Šibenik. It includes 140 uninhabited islands, islets and reefs with the area of only 70 km2. In the immediate vicinity of the Kornati National Park, there is another jewel of protected nature in Croatia - the Telašćica Natural Park, which includes a spacious and deep bay of the same name on the neighbouring Dugi otok. The Kornati islands are noted for their varied unusual forms and extraordinary relief structure, and especially the high cliffs.

KRKA, a river in Dalmatia; springs out at the western foot of Dinara Mountain and flows into the sea near Sibenik; length 72.5 km. In the parts of the course where the Krka flows through marly soils, certain extensions are created (Arandelovac, etc.). In limestone it forms a narrow and deep canyon (up to 200 m), flowing over travertine barriers and creating waterfalls. In the upper course are two 10-m high waterfalls. At the entrance of the Krka into the Knin field is a waterfall called Veliki Buk (20 m). In the lower part of the course are the waterfalls: Bilusic (19.6 m), Prijen (15 m), Manojlovac (three waterfalls; 84.5 m), Roski Slap (25.5 m) and Skradinski Buk (37.5 m), the most beautiful of all.

North Dalmatia: Zadar region

Culture and history have, just like nature, been kind to the Zadar tourist region that has been populated now for three millennia. In the close vicinity of Zadar is the city of Nin, Croatia's oldest royal seat and the place in which the Croatian state was born. Zadar became the capital of Dalmatia as far back as the 7th century and held on to the title until 1918. The stone paved streets of the Peninsula, the centre of the city's ancient core, are graced by the 9th century stone church of St. Donat, the largest researched Roman forum on this side of the Adriatic, the church of St. Stošija (St. Anastasia) from the 13th century and the 12th century church of St. Krševan. The spirit and rhythm of this thousand year old city are best felt in walking the Kalelarga, a wide street that every visitor to this city must see. The city is now living its second youth as a place with the largest investments into municipal infrastructure and construction.

One of these edifices, unique in all of Europe, is the "Sea Organ", a miracle of architecture built in the submersed part of the city's waterfront where the maritime currents and the waves, in passing through these underwater musical tubes, create an unbelievable sound, called the music of the sea, that fills the wide area of the seaside promenade and that has in less than a year become a not-to-be-missed gathering spot for thousands of curious visitors from Zadar and its environs. Famed director Alfred Hitchcock says that the most beautiful sunset in the world can be seen from precisely this spot on the Zadar quay. That was how he described it after his visit to Zadar, a visit he remembered to the end of his life by the meeting of the sinking sun and the sea.

Zadar

Zadar and the tourist region of Zadar are located in the very centre of the Croatian Adriatic, in the most indented part of the Adriatic archipelago. At a smaller or greater distance from Zadar are the national parks Plitvice, Paklenica, Krka and Kornati, nature parks Velebit and Telascica, as well as more than 300 islands and islets. Natural beauties, numerous coves and beaches, cultural and historical monuments, restaurants and hotels offering selected national specialities make Zadar and its surroundings one of the most attractive tourist regions in Croatia.

National parks

PAKLENICA, includes the most attractive parts of southern Velebit, including its highest peaks. Two impressive canyons of Velika and Mala Paklenica, vertically cut into the mountain from the sea to the peaks are the main attraction of the park. In a relatively small area of the national park, there are several unusual carst forms, several caves, and extremely rich and varied flora and fauna. Among steep rocks, Anića kuk is the most popular destination of Croatian alpinists. In the upper parts of the canyon, a larger forest area has been preserved on the littoral side of Velebit. This, in addition to the existence of several vegetation and climate zones from warm Mediterranean to harsh mountain zones on the top of Velebit, largely contributed to it that this area was among the first in Croatia to be proclaimed a national park, first provisionally in 1928, and then definitely in 1949. Nature parks

TELAŠĆICA, is a large cove in the extreme south of the island Dugi Otok; around 10 km long and between 160 and 1,800 m wide, with several expansions with sandy and mud bottoms; the depth in the inner part attains 12 m, and in the outer part reaches up to 60 m. The eastern coast comprises the inlets Cuska, Dumboka, Oscenica, Gozdenja, Rakvic, Krasevica and Mangrovica, while the coves Strizna, Tripuljak, Mir, Jaz and Pasjak are in the west. The western expansion comprises the small islands Donji and Gornji Skolj, the central part the islet of Farfarikulac, and the cliffs Gozdenja, Galijola and the small island of Korotan are in the eastern part which reaches the islands of Velika Aba and Katina. The north-eastern coast of Telascica is predominantly bare, and the south-eastern part is covered by forest of pine, olive and fig trees; macchia, interspersed with forests, grows further from the coast. The southern coast of Telascica is separated from the sea by a narrow, forested crest, terminating in a 50 to 100-m high and steep seashore. A brackish lake (beach) is located in this region; area 0.23 sq km; depth 5.8 m. Telascica is one of the largest and most beautiful coves on the Croatian coast. A path from the western part of Telascica leads to the village Sali, situated on the eastern part of the island. The cove represents good anchoring ground and shelter for yachts. The following sentence could best describe the beauty of Telascica, visited by many tourists in form of guided Excursions: "When God created the universe, he was particularly generous to this place". The cove has 25 inlets, five islets and a special natural attraction - the salt lake. The medicinal lake water has a higher salt content and temperature from the surrounding sea, being thus especially attractive for swimmers. The steep cliffs, rising up to 166 m and protecting the cove from the raging sea, are very impressive. The mysterious legends of buried gold and strange original inhabitants with five small horns on their heads fit into this marvellous and beautiful scenery. Boaters and visitors to this cove, one of the best-protected on the Adriatic Sea, can enjoy a safe yachting experience as well as top-quality fish food and domestic wines. Kornati National Park is not far from Telascica (1.6 Nm).

VRANSKO JEZERO (VRANSKO LAKE), a lake and cryptodepression in Ravni Kotari, northeast of Pakostane; area 30.1 sq km (length 13.6 km, width up to 2.2 m, depth up to 3.9 m). The water, supplied by the Skorobic brook and sev-eral springs, flows beneath the ground and through the artificial canal Prosika (850 m) into the bay of Pirovac. The highest summits in Ravni Kotari (standarac, 305 m), offering a nice view on the hinterland and the coastal strip, rise along the north-eastern, forested shore of the lake. The lake is rich in fish (carps, mullets, eels, etc.). The area comprising 30 hectares is designated a special ornithological reserve. The easiest access to the lake is from the main road at Pakostane (400 m) or from Prosika.

Kvarner region of Adriatic sea & Highlands

The cultural-historical heritage of Kvarner is exceptionally interesting and content full and this has resulted in the development of various selective forms of tourism, like for example ethno-tourisms, sacral and cultural tourism. In total, Kvarner has 278 protected cultural localities, of which 117 are historical entities, 161 are historical buildings and complexes. The most numerous is the profane heritage, followed by ethnological, memorial and sacral, then hydro-archaeological and archaeological heritage. Nearly every second or third town, municipality or locality have something to offer their guests in this respect, and one of the most frequently mentioned and set apart monuments is the Bašćanska ploća (stone tablet), a monument to the Croatian language carved in stone from about 1100 A.D. written in transitory type of script, from rounded to squarish Glagolitic script. Along with church ritual manuscripts and texts, the events from everyday social life, as well as legal documents like the Vinodol, Vrbnik and Krk laws were written in Glagolitic script. Also worthy of attention are the numerous Marian shrines among which is the Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat above Rijeka, one of the oldest shrines in the world, in which from 1291 to 1294 the holy Nazarethan house was kept.

Rijeka

The geographical position of Rijeka is crucial for its tourist image. This is where a visitor in transit meets the sea for the first time, regardless of whether coming by road or rail. The access to Rijeka is extremely attractive - both from the west and from the east - and the access from the sea offers the most charming view on Rijeka. The natural and cultural features of Rijeka, the Mediterranean climate, and the closer and broader surroundings of the mountainous landscape of the Primorsko-Goranska County add to the value of the city. The area around Rijeka represents the most developed tourist region in Croatia, with a tradition dating back to the 19th century; more than a half of the foreign tourists visiting Croatia stay in Rijeka.

National parks

PLITVICKA JEZERA (PLITVICE LAKES), are the most known Croatian national park and are entered in the UNESCO Register of World Natural Heritage. Sixteen little lakes interconnected with waterfalls created by deposition of travertine, a special kind of limestone, constitute the main attraction of this unique park. The park includes the spring of the Korana River in the area surrounded by dense forests of beech, fir and spruce, partly in the form of primeval virgin forest. Apart from the lakes and forests, the Park is ornamented with several caves, springs, flower meadows, and is inhabited by brown bear, among other animal species. The popularity of this park is also in the use of special vehicle for transporting visitors (panoramic trains and electric boats), and is conveniently situated at the main road from Zagreb to Dalmatia.

RISNJAK, is a forested mountain massive not far from the city of Rijeka, named after lynx (ris in Croatian), its best known inhabitant. The National Park of the same name stretches from 300 to 1,500 m above the sea level. Due to its position at the junction between the Alps and the Dinarides, and from the Mediterranean to Pannonia, almost all types of forests, as well as many plant and animal species are gathered here, in a relatively small area. The beauty of the forest, carst phenomena, beautiful springs and magnificent views attract many hikers and other nature lovers to Risnjak.

NORTH VELEBIT is the youngest of the Croatian national parks, established in 1999. It comprises the most attractive and, in terms of nature, the most valuable areas of the northern part of Velebit. A large number of attractive sights are concentrated in this predominantly mountainous park - magnificent carst forms of Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi, unique botanical garden and Lukina cave, one of the longest in the world. Croatian mountaineers consider this area the greatest jewel among the Croatian mountains. Due to its remoteness from the main roads, this area is somewhat less visited, but this only increases its mystic and primeval natural ambience.

Nature parks

UČKA, (UCKA), a mountain in the eastern part of Istria; it stretches in the total length of 20 km from the Poklon pass (road Rijeka - Pazin leads over it) to the Plomin Bay. It has an aspect of a prominent sheer rock, with peaks descending toward the south: Plas (1,285 m), the highest peak Vojak (1,401 m), Suhi Vrh (1,333 m), Brgud (907 m), Kremenjak (827 m) and Sisol (835 m). Both slopes abound in water sources; some of them are capped for the purpose of waterworks, while the other form water streams, rather powerful in winter months (Banina, Medveja). The slopes feature several canyon and transverse valleys (Vela Draga) and there are many -other karst formations (sinkholes, caves).

VELEBIT. With its area of almost 2,000 km2, the Velebit Nature Park is the largest protected area of Croatia, larger than all other protected areas taken together. Within the Park, there is a series of smaller protected areas, including two national parks: Northern Velebit and Paklenica, and the strict reserves of Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi. On this magnificent mountain that in its diversity, unique relief and richness of plant and animal life is one of the most significant in Europe, there is a whole series of natural sights ranking among the highest values Croatia has to offer. Therefore, this whole 150 km long mountain is protected as UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, currently the only one in Croatia.

Istria - Adriatic sea and inland

Istra is close. If Croatia is the heart of Europe, for heart-like Istra it can be said that it opens the gates of the Mediterranean to Europeans. Trst and Ljubljana are practically at its doorstep, even Graz isn’t far away, it’s only about 500 or so kilometres from Milan or Vienna and about 600 kilometres away from Munich. The airport in Pula connects Istra with the whole of Europe.

Istra is endowed with natural beauties. Counted among Istra’s special qualities without a doubt are its inviolable natural balance and diverse plant and animal world. The environment is well preserved, the forests extend down to the sea, the sea is clean, the majority of beaches are untouched and the plant life is autochthonous Mediterranean, sometimes rare and sometimes unique. Aside from the fact that it is reputed as being one of the most beautiful archipelagos of the Mediterranean, the Brijuni archipelago also represents a curious game of nature with exotic fauna and rich flora in one place.

Istra has a rich historical and cultural heritage. Owing to its attractiveness by which it drew attention even in times long past, Istra today abounds in numerous archaeological and cultural-historical monuments. The remains of dinosaur footprints and bones, ancient catacombs, a magnificent Roman amphitheatre, Euphrasian Basilica which has even been recognised by UNESCO, rising bell-towers, numerous little churches with preserved frescos, the remains of fortified towns, old city walls, towers, forts… are only some of the “ordinary places” in Istra’s heritage.

Pula

The first tourist excursions to Pula were recorded at the beginning of the 19th century. Giovanni Carrara, a conservator of antiquities in Pula, guided the sightseeing tours for distinguished personalities and organized groups in 1828. In 1832 Pula was visited by the Austrian emperor Franz Ferdinand.Today Pula offers a variety of excellent opportunities for tourists. Together with well-equipped hotels and other types of accommodation facilities, the tourist offer includes many sports grounds, recreational facilities and entertainment programs, terraces with live music, discotheques, casinos, inns and restaurants, as well as diverse excursions. The town disposes of two marinas, so that yachting tourism is increasingly developing. Pula is also a well-known congress centre (the large congress hall in Hotel Histria). The town can be reached by various means of transport, and there is an airport in the immediate vicinity of Pula (6 km), constructed to meet the requirements of international air traffic. Events: the Croatian Film Festival has been organized traditionally every year since 1954 in Arena (July), the Pop Music Festival "Arena" is also held in Arena (July), Art & Music Festival - the rock music festival (in August). Pula is also a centre of sport tourism because domestic and international sports teams and athlets find the favourable climate, quality sports facilities (tennis courts, sports halls, football stadiums, football fields, track-and-field courses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, water sports facilities, etc.) suitable for winter training season. Apart from the traditional sports on the ground, there are opportunities to enjoy a variety of water sports. Pula ACI Marina has 294 berths in the sea and 100 places on the land, provided for the vessels of a length between 6 and 18 m; Veruda Marina has 610 berths in the sea and 150 places on the land; vessel length between 6 and 15 m.

National park

BRIJUNI, are a group of two larger and twelve smaller islets along the West coast of Istria, near Pula, with the total area of only 7 km2. Both archipelago and the surrounding sea are under protection. The Brijuni Archipelago is known for its preserved Mediterranean vegetation, which is partly landscape and partly a safari park. The archipelago is noted for its valuable cultural heritage from the Roman and Byzantine times. Due to its extraordinary beauty, the Brioni Islands have been, for over a hundred years now, a favourite tourist destination of world statesmen and aristocracy. Because of many diplomatic core and statesmen visiting Brijuni, non-Croatian citizen have to announce their coming to the island 24-48 hrs before, due to security check.

Umag is an oasis of sports tourism and active vacations, adapted to the needs of urban people. Apart from tennis, tourist complexes along the riviera of Umag offer numerous sports and recreational opportunities: football, bowling, miniature golf, ck riding, hunting, cycling, rowing, yachting, windsurfing, water skiing, diving, swimming and underwater fishing. Umag is a famous health resort, the meeting point of business people and sportsmen and the venue of sports events, congresses, fairs and trade exhibitions. Traditional events in Umag include: St. Pelegrin, the folk feast dedicated to the patron of Umag (end of May); Our Lady of the Snows, the folk feast in Materada, dedicated to St. Mary (5th of August); The Assumption of Our Lady, the folk feast of Umag and Sveta Marija na Krasu near Umag (15th of August); Concert Summer, concerts of classical music in the parish church (in July and August); ATP Croatia Open, an international tennis tournament in Stella Maris Camp (end of July), which made Umag one of the most famous Croatian seaside resorts. Umag ACI Marina, situated in the northern part of the town port, in front of Hotel Adriatic, offers 500 berths in the sea for yachts up to 18 m, as well as 150 places on the land. Umag is also a permanent maritime border crossing with an outpost of the port authority and the customs office.

Poreč

Porec is a tourist centre famous for its beautiful natural landscape, long tradition in tourism and several well-equipped tourist resorts: Plava and Zelena Laguna (Blue and Green Lagoon), Brulo, Pical, Spadici. In 1844 the steamers society, the Austrian Lloyd from Trieste, opened a tourist line which included Porec, and already in 1845 the first tourist guide of Porec was printed. After having founded a meteorological station in Porec in 1863, Marquis Polesini had a castle built on the islet of St. Nicholas, in which many prominent persons stayed after visiting Euphrasian Basilica.

Being a tourist resort with the largest number of hotels, apartments, campsites, rooms, Porec has a diverse tourist offer. There are numerous tennis courts, gyms, sports grounds, together with horseback riding, water-skiing, bungee jumping, yachting and diving opportunities. Many cultural events are organized throughout the year: classical music concerts (from May to September) in Euphrasian Basilica, jazz evenings in the Museum of Porec (stone collection department) or picturesque folk feasts in nearby Tar and Funtana. A tourist train runs regularly through Porec. There is also a marina. A small airport for aerial sports, Crljenka, is located in nearby Vrsar.

UNESCO - The Euphrasius Basilica (Eufrazijana) in Poreč is one of three the most famous basilicas in the world and undoubtedly one of the most significant sacral monuments. Taking into consideration this very fact, one can only imagine the ambience when the sound of chamber music fills the air in the Basilica during the performance of top domestic and international musicians and singers. Just imagine experiencing the power of music that turns ones skin into gooseflesh and causes one's body to shudder. And even if one manages to imagine all that, it would only be a small part of the entertainment and pleasure offered by these concerts which represent one of our oldest and most attractive musical programmes.

Rovinj

Rovinj is one of the most developed seaside resorts in Croatia, offering a whole range of visitor opportunities in a picturesque ambience of the ancient town, surrounded by luxuriant pine forests (the cape of Zlatni Rt is designated as a park forest, while the coast and islands of Rovinj are set aside as a protected landscape). The beginning of tourism was marked by the introduction of a steamship line between Rovinj and Trieste (1845) and the construction of the railroad to Vienna (1876). In 1896 the town had a well-maintained public beach, Val di Lone, and several boarding houses (Alla citta di Trieste, Al Miramar, Alla porta antica and Al vecchio albergo).

Sports and recreation play an extremely important role within visitor opportunities offered in Rovinj. Competitions, tournaments, sports schools (tennis, diving, windsurfing etc.) and trainings are organized. Sports grounds, facilities and equipment are rented. Among sports facilities important are various playgrounds - football, basketball, handball and volleyball, as well as the multi-functional sports hall, the eight-lane bowling alley, outdoor (Olympic) and indoor pools for swimming and water-polo, gyms, recreational and cycling trails. Water sports opportunities include yachting, rowing, windsurfing and water-skiing.

Rovinj ACI Marina has 420 berths in the sea and 100 places on the land; vessel length 4-13 m. ROVINJ, a town and port on the western coast of Istria, 36 km north of Pula.

Central Croatia - Inland

North of Zagreb is the interesting Hrvatsko Zagorje, a hilly area that to the west borders with Slovenia and is intersected by rivers and highlands that give the area a special atmosphere.

The regional centre or arts, politics and administration is Krapina, a town with a preserved urban core, it is known as the site of the archaeological find of the Krapina Early Man. Krapina was put on the world map in 1899 when Professor Dragutin Gorjanović – Kramberger discovered the remains of diluvial man on Hušnjak Hill, the remains of what is known to science as Homo Krapiniensis.

Southwest of Zagreb is the city of Karlovac that lies at the meeting of four rivers and is the centre of a region of interests to tourists. The beauty of the Karlovac rivers, the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and the Dobra, the forest-covered highlands of Velika Kapela and Mala Kapela, the greenery of the Kordun wilderness, the transit position and a rich heritage of history are enduring values that are attracting more and more tourists.

Located at the northernmost tip of the country, at the meeting of Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia, is Međimurje, whose tourist trademark is the newly renovated Sveti Martin thermal resort. This is a region with excellent cuisine and customs, premium wines, Wine Roads and cycling routes. The centre of the region is the city of Čakovec. The area offers great opportunities for sports and recreation and offers its guests well thought out tour programs based on traditions like, for example, gold panning.

Varaždin

Varazdin is one of the most important tourist centres of the entire northern Croatia. The variety of cultural and historical offer in the city and its surroundings, as well as the beautiful countryside attract many visitors the whole year round. The urban heart of this Central European Baroque town, which is often compared with Vienna, is very well preserved. The old town fortification, the central part of the town, numerous museums, galleries and collections as well as the Varazdin cemetery, protected as a horticultural monument, represent the main tourist attractions. The central museum object of the Town Museum is situated in Stari Grad and distinguished by many exhibits related to the history of the Varazdin region from the pre-historic period up to the present day. The unique collection of more than ten thousand stuffed insects, gathered by Franjo Koscec Esq., accommodated in the Entomological Department in Herzer Palace, deserves a special mention.

Numerous cultural and entertainment events are also important. The most significant are the Varazdin Baroque Evenings - one of the greatest musical events in Croatia. Other important events are the International Festival of Wind Orchestras, the Days of the Book (in October), Špancir fest (Spancir fest) with loads of bands and performers all over many town stages.

One of the landmarks of the town is the Varazdin guard, the so-called "purgari", dressed in their nice blue grenadier uniforms, who stand by the Town Hall during significant ceremonies.

Stubičke toplice

STUBICKE TOPLICE, thermal spa and health resort at the foot of the northern slopes of Medvednica Mountain in the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje, 3 km west of Donja Stubica, 40 km north of Zagreb; elevation 168 m. Chief occupations are farming and health tourism; hospital for rheumatic diseases and rehabilitation. Stubicke Toplice lies on the regional road.

A tree called Old Galzenjak is one of the tourist attractions in Stubicke Toplice, not far from the railway station. This protected tree is classified as a memorial nature monument in connection with the Peasants' Revolt (Seljacka Buna).

The long history of urban life (around 2,500 years) and the extremely favourable position on the confluence of three rivers (the Sava, the Kupa and the Odra) have made Sisak a very important town in the history of the Croats. The triangular fortress of the Old Town from the 16th century, well-preserved and turned into the Native Museum, is the main destination of every tourist. The fortress is famous for the glorious victory of the Croats over the Turks in 1593, the first significant defeat of the up-to-then invincible Turkish army in Europe. The Baroque palace (Mali Kaptol) and the classicist palace (Veliki Kaptol), the Old Bridge (Stari Most) over the Kupa, made of bricks, the ethnological park etc. are most frequently visited objects in the town. Sisak has many rich mineral springs (42 °C - 54 °C) that are not used and are waiting for the investors.

Sports and recreation facilities in the town and the surroundings include mainly the waters and alluvial plains: a public beach on the Kupa; the rivers Kupa, Odra and Sava and their backwaters offer fishing opportunities, and there are hunting grounds in the regions of Turopolje and Posavina. Sisak is the starting point for sightseeing tours around Lonjsko Polje Nature Park.

Nature park

LONJSKO POLJE, a part of the flood plain between the Sava river and Moslavacka Gora Mountain, partly along the Lonja river; a retention basin for the Sava waters. Lonjsko Polje Nature Park comprises an area of 506.50 sq km. It is famous for a variety of flora and fauna. Very interesting is also the architecture of a great large number of well preserved Posavina-style wooden houses, which are a true monument of archi-tectural heritage. Some areas of the Nature Park (ornithological reserves Rakita and Draziblato) are even under a stricter regime of nature conservation. Marshy meadows, ash, willow and poplar forests in the Reserve are an important nesting place of ducks, while the flood oak forests, meadows and pastures of Lonj-sko Polje are the natural habitat of a number of rare European bird species (white-tailed eagle and short-toed eagle, white egret, grey heron, black stork, etc.). This flooded area, where high waters hold for up to six months, is one of the largest European hatching grounds of pike. Amply represented are also other animals typical for this area (spotted Turopolje swine, wild boars, the protected horse breed - Croatian Posavac, deer, roes, otters, beavers, wild cats). Bird watching, cycling, walking, boating, horseback riding, bathing and hunting and angling to a limited extent are major sports and recre-ational activities. The local cuisine (fish paprika stew, so-called "krapec na procep", venison goulash, etc.), excursions and photo-safari in Lonjsko Polje are unforgettable experiences.

Karlovac developed around the Renaissance-style fortified town in the 16th century, between the Kupa and the Korana rivers. The only remains of the fortifications are moats, while the remains of the former old town include ten-odd nice and regular streets with valuable Baroque structures and the central square. Among the sacral buildings, the most prominent are the early Baroque church of the Holy Trinity with the Franciscan monastery and the national shrine of St. Joseph. Other valuable structures include "Zorin Dom", the Town Museum, the Music School and the very well preserved mediaeval fortification Dubovac, today converted into a hotel.

The attractive position of the town on four rivers (the Kupa, the Korana, the Mreznica and the Dobra) and an extremely favourable location in terms of traffic - on the main road from Zagreb to the Adriatic Coast - facilitate the development of tourism, especially transit. The landscaped park Vrbanicev Perivoj and Marmont Alley of plane trees are protected horticultural monuments, and the peat-bog plant community Banski Moravci, east of the town, is set aside as a special biological reserve.

Among cultural and entertainment events and performances in the town, the most important are the Beer Days (at the beginning of autumn), a kind of local variant of the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich. One should also mentioned pilgrimages to St. Joseph in Dubovac (19th of March), the floral exhibition and fair (at the beginning of June), St. John's Bonfires (at the end of June) and the Karlovac Cultural Days (in October, November and December).

The most important sports and recreational activities are connected with the four rivers of Karlovac (bathing, angling, etc.). The surroundings also offer hunting and hiking opportunities.

Samobor

Several parks in Samobor are protected as horticultural monuments. In the immediate vicinity of the town is the large forest park Tepec - Palacnik - Straznik.

Numerous sports and recreational facilities in the town and its immediate vicinity provide opportunities for active holidays. The major recreational activity is hiking - Samobor is the cradle of Croatian hiking. The excursion to Ostrc and Plesivica that took place on 17th of May, 1875 is considered the first organized hiking tour. Today there is a number of well-marked and maintained mountain paths around Samobor, as well as several nicely decorated and well equipped mountain lodges. Hunting is possible in the immediate vicinity of the town - hunting grounds in the hills of Samoborsko and Zumberacko Gorje - as well as angling on the Gradna, the Slapnica and the Bregana brooks. The exquisite gastronomic offer of Samobor includes "rudarska greblica" (a kind of pie), the spicy mustard sauce called "samoborska mustarda", the liqueur Bermet, "cesnjovke" (garlic sausages), "samoborske kremsnite" (custard slices), etc.

The Samobor Carnival ("fasnik") is the event with an old tradition; it has been organized for more than 170 years as one of the most popular carnival festivities in the country (January/February). Other important events include the Old-timer Rally (10th of May), the Dog Show (17th of May), the Tambura Music Night (28th of June), Rudarska Greblica in the nearby Rude (7th of July), the Day of the Town (26th-28th of July), the Samobor Salami Show (in March), the Samobor Music Autumn (in September), etc.

Nature park

ŽUMBERAK, ZUMBERAK, a hilly region (around 300 sq km) in southern Prigorje (lower slopes) of the Zumberak range. Named after the old burg of Zumberak (burnt down in 1793; ruins above the village of the same name). Typical karst relief (sinkholes, caves, abysses, underground streams) with forests of beech and chestnut. Chief occupations are farming, viticulture and livestock breeding. Villages of a scattered type with compact hamlets, the largest being those along the main roads (Budinja, Stojdraga, Gornja Vas, Ostrc, Sosice, etc.). The majority of the settlements lie above 400 m. The region used to be inhabited in the pre-historic (Budinjak, a habitation and necropolis from the Early Iron Age, Kalje) and Roman per-iod (Gornja Vas). Since the settlement of the Croats in these regions Zumberak and Bela Krajina (7th-13th c.) were a part of Croatia, under the jurisdiction of the newly established diocese in Zagreb (1094). Under the reign of Andrew II (1204-1235) Zumberak was dependent on Metlika and Crnomelj and included in the Carniolan March. At the beginning of the 14th century the religious administration was subjected to the Aquileian Patriarchate, i.e. Gorica (Gorizia) archdeaconry, which brought about a long-lasting conflict between the Zagreb diocese and the Aquileian Patriarchate; only in 1784 was a part of Zumberak included in the Zagreb diocese. In the second half of the 15th century the Ottoman Turks devastated the area of the Zumberak range. Thus Zumberak became almost completely deserted already at the beginning of the 16th century. The Habsburg rulers decided to populate their desolate estates with groups of Uskoks (Croatian rebels against the Ottoman rule - the first groups settled in 1530), who were Catholic and Orthodox; the latter became Uniates at the beginning of the 17th century. The Zumberak Captaincy was annexed in 1578 to the Slunj Captaincy and thus became included in Vojna Krajina (Military Border District). Upon reunification with Civil Croatia in 1881, Zumberak became a district of the Zagreb County, and the seat of the district was in Kostanjevac. During the Baroque period some of the older churches were reconstructed so that -only few preserved features of previous periods, such as the churches in Kalje and Zumberak which still have some Gothic elements. Members of the Uniate Church are found as a community only in Zumberak. The oldest Uniate parish of St. Nicholas was founded in Badovinci in 1620. The chapels in Sosice, Kast and Radatovic were part of it. The church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Sosice was erected in 1756. The Zumberak range (in Slovenian Gorjanci) is a borderland between Croatia and Slovenia, with special tourist importance, primarily of mountain type, for the both countries. A smaller portion of the range - Samoborsko Gorje (Japetic, the highest top, attains 880 m) - is often separately presented and has been visited for more than a hundred years by many excursionists and hikers. Many marked trails and paths, such as Karlovac Hiking Transverse, the beautiful countryside (Sopote Waterfalls, 60 m, on the Kupcina river, the Slapnica brook, Eco-village Kravljak, Bio-park Gabrovica), villages and old hill-forts represent chief attractions in this hiking and tourist region. Climbing the highest top, Sveta Gera (1,178 m) has a multiple symbolic meaning. There are several small, indigenous villages attractive for tourists (the whole region of Zumberak is an ethno-village). The hamlets of Sosice, Ostrc, Tomasevci, Kalje, Stojdraga and other on the Croatian side as well as many on the Slovenian side are connected by roads with bigger centres - Samobor, Bregana, Jastrebarsko, Ozalj, etc. The ruins of old feudal castles not far from the village Stari Grad (Kekici) and the hill-fort near Tomasevci bear evidence of a rarely found, long continuation of settlement in the region of Zumberak. Some of the sacral objects (primarily churches) of Catholic and Uniate religions are interesting due to their beauty and specific features. Mountain climbing, hiking, hunting and angling represent chief sports and recreational activities in Zumberacko Gorje. The region offers traditional domestic cuisine, venison and fish specialities as well as the Plesivicko wine.

SLAVONIA AND BARANJA REGION

Slavonia and Baranja abounds with especially rich architectural heritage – castles and fortresses. A special place belongs to a castle with a wine cellar in Kutjevo which was part of the one time Jesuit estate. The castle in Donji Miholjac was constructed at the beginning of the last century in hunter’s style and represents a unique facility of its kind in Croatia and this part of Europe. The castle in Bilje which was left by Eugen Savojski was constructed in Vienna style. The Counts of Pejačević left their castle in Virovitica, Našice and Osijek as inheritance for new generations. In the one in Našice, which is one of the most beautiful, the diva of Croatian music Dora Pejačević composed music and a memorial room for her is open for visitors. Here too is the baroque castle of the Counts Noraman-Prandau in Valpovo with it park. The castle of the powerful family Eltz in Vukovar has only begun to be renovated after great war time devastation in the Homeland war, however even in the state it is now it still actively lives gathering together museum treasures of its region, special archaeological remains of Vučedol culture which is exalted by the Vučedol dove. The castle of the family Odescalchi in Ilok should also not be missed including its wine cellar and next to which are the most preserved authentic Turkish remains – Turkish domed burial sites and Turkish baths.

Osijek

The largest city in eastern Croatia Osijek had the town statues towards the end of the 17th century. Since then, its administration has been developing according to the standards of all developed central European cities. The cultural life was mainly related to the theatres first the appearances of various theatre ensembles, the museums (the first museum was opened in 1877 by private donations), collections and printing houses (the Franciscans), and the social life, whose development was accompanied by prosperous economy and developed trade relations, was related to religious festivities, public events (fairs), entertainment and sports. The development of tourism was facilitated by the notable cultural and historical heritage (the Baroque-style Tvrda, one of the most attractive structures of the entire Slavonia), and the geographical location of the town on the Drava river.

The river port on the Drava, especially the winter port (Zimska Luka) with a number of boats, renders a special atmosphere to the largest town of Slavonia. The most important sights in the city include the main square, Trg Ante Starcevica, Trg sv. Roka, the promenade along the Drava ("promenada"), the suspension pedestrian bridge toward Baranja; the Municipal Park of King Petar Kresimir IV and the King Tomislav Park both from the beginning of the 20th century, are protected as horticultural monuments. One of the few Croatian zoological gardens is located in Osijek, along the Drava river.

Numerous events take place in the city throughout the year. The most important of them are the Croatian Tambura Music Festival (in May), attended by tambura orchestras from the entire Croatia, the Osijek Summer Nights (during June, July and August) a series of cultural and entertainment programs in the open, accompanied by excellent food and fairs. The Day of the City of Osijek is celebrated with a cultural and artistic program and thematic exhibitions.

The recreational and sports centre Copacabana, located on the left bank of the Drava river, provides opportunities for various water sports (outdoor swimming pools, a sand beach with various facilities) during the summer months. The city offers various playgrounds: football, handball, basketball, tennis courts, etc.

The surroundings of Osijek provide excellent opportunities for hunting and angling on the Drava river and its backwaters. The exquisite gastronomic offer includes traditional Slavonia-style specialities (kulen, paprika-flavoured sausage, other kinds of sausages, ham, bacon, dairy products, etc.), venison and fish dishes (the famous fish paprika stew), making Osijek a kind of gastronomic metropolis of Croatia. The Osijek beer (Eseker) and Baranja wines are offered in restaurants in the town and its surroundings.

Nature park

Kopački rit

KOPACKI RIT (Kopacki Trscak), a nature park not far from the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, situated at the very border, is one of the most important, largest and most attractive preserved intact wetlands in Europe. It comprises many backwaters and ponds along the Danube. The vicinity of a big city of Osijek and its surroundings as well as excellent traffic communications (by road, railway, plane, ship) enable a high visiting rate. The beauty of "intact" nature, multitude of waters, flora and fauna attract not only excursionists and visitors but also many experts and scientists from the whole Europe. A part of Kopacki Rit has been designated as a special zoological reserve. Around 260 various bird species nest here (wild goose, wild duck, big white heron, white stork, black stork, white-tailed eagle, big crow, coot, seagull, tern, kingfisher, woodpecker, green woodpecker, etc.), and there are many other species using this area as a temporary shelter on their way from the northern, cooler regions to the southern, warmer belts and vice versa. There are 40-odd fish species (pike, ide, tench, bream, carp, catfish, pike-perch, perch, etc.). Several various mammal species inhabit the land (common deer, roe, wild boar, wild cat, pine marten, stone marten, weasel, sable, otter, etc.). Rich plant life, typical of wetlands, is found also in Kopacki Rit. Tourist visits by panoramic ships, boats, team of horses or on foot, are guided. Some packages offer the possibility of photographing or video-recording animals, birds in particular. The specialities of Kopacki Rit (fish stew, grilled carp, venison, Belje wines, etc.) can be tasted in the nearby restaurant.

PAPUK, a mountain in the region of Slavonia, on the northern and north-western border of the Pozeska Valley in Slavonia; the highest peak Papuk (954 m). Springs and sources of many water bodies (the Cadavica, the Karasica, the Pakra). Forest vegetation (oak, beech). Vineyards on the southern slopes of the foothills. The road Cacinci Velika Pozega leads over the Perivoj peak (725 m). Thanks to the Vocin nobleman Josip Jankovic, the central part of Papuk was arranged in the first half of the 19th century, especially Jankovac. Mountaineering societies were also founded, the first one in 1895 in Jankovac (one of the oldest in Croatia) and in 1932 also in Daruvar and elsewhere. This marked the beginning of organized hiking tours on the biggest Slavonian mountain, Papuk. After the construction of mountain huts and other facilities and the marking of trails, Papuk became a frequent destination of excursionists and mountaineers. The asphalt road from Velika to Jankovac runs through the highest part of Papuk (the Nevoljas pass, around 700 m) and divides it in the eastern (lower) and the western (higher) part. There are several mountain lodges and tourist facilities on Papuk: the mountain lodge Lapjak (335 m) 3 km from Velika, the thermal spa Toplice (296 m) in the vicinity of Velika, the mountain hut Trisnjica, 7 km from the Lapjak lodge, the facilities of the mountain rescue team on Nevoljas (725 m), the ski-lift above Jezerce (descends from Nevoljas), the mountain lodge Jankovac (475 m) on the northern slopes of Papuk. Usual accesses: Lapjak lodge Duboka Jezerce Nevoljas (2 hrs); Lapjak lodge Maliscak Papuk (4 hrs); by road, Lapjak lodge Velicanka spring Jankovac (16 km); Velika Papuk peak (17 km).

Zagreb is a big Croatian tourist centre, not only in terms of transit from West and Central Europe to the Adriatic Sea but also as a tourist destination. The city with a tradition of almost one thousand years celebrated in 1994 its 900th birthday. Zagreb is not only rich in cultural and historical monuments, museums and galleries, it also has a variety of modern shops, and offers good quality of diversified restaurants as well as sports and recreation facilities. It is a big centre of congress tourism, economic and business events and trade fairs not only in Croatia but also in this part of Europe. Being an important junction point, it has road, air, railway and bus connections with European metropolises and all bigger cities and tourist resorts in Croatia.

Zagreb has rich civil and cul-tural heritage, dating from the -----pre-historic period (Veternica Cave, Palaeolithic) and archaeological finds of the Roman culture (scitarjevo) up to the present. The historical part of the town, the Upper Town and Kaptol are a unique urban core even in European terms, and thus represent the target of sightseeing tours. The old town, its streets and squares can be reached on foot, starting from Ban Josip Jelacic Square, the central part and the heart of Zagreb, or by a funicular in the nearby Tomiceva Street. The old core of the town includes many famous buildings, churches, mu-seums and institutions as well as pleasant restaurants and coffee bars.

The history, art and culture not only of Zagreb and Croatia but also of Europe and the world, can be seen by walking through the large number of Zagreb museums. Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections. Only the Archaeological Museum (Nikola Subic Zrinski Square 19) disposes of 400,000 objects, not all of them being exhibited. The holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in this area as well as rare samples which made the museum known in the whole world. The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the mummy and bandages with the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world as well as the numismatic collection. A part of the museum is set aside for the collection of stone monuments dating back predominantly to the Roman -period.

The Croatian Museum of Natural Sciences (Demetrova Street 1) holds the world's most extensive collection of the remains of Neanderthal man found on one site - the remains of the pre-historic man of Krapina and stone weapon and tools. The Technical Museum (Savska Street 18) keeps the oldest preserved machine in this area, dating from 1830 which still operates. Valuable historical collections are found in the Croatian Historical Museum, the Museum of the City of Zagreb, the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Ethnographic Museum, the Croatian School Museum, the Croatian Hunting Museum, the Croatian Sports Museum, the Croatian Post and Telecommunications Museum, the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences) Glyptotheque (collection of monuments), the HAZU Graphics Cabinet.

Many visitors find the Mimara Museum (Roosevelt Square 5), housing the donation by Wiltrud and Ante Topic Mimara, very attractive. Of the total of 3,700 most various works of art, more than 1,500 exhibits constitute permanent holdings, dating from the pre-historic period up to the 20th century. The HAZU Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters (Zrinski Square 11) offers permanent holdings presenting European paintings from the 14th to the 19th centuries, and the Mestrovic Studio, (Mletacka Street 8) with sculptures, drawings, lithography portfolios and other items, is a donation of this great artist to his homeland.

The Museum of Contemporary Art (Catherine's Square 2) follows and presents contemporary trends in fine arts. The Museum and Gallery Centre (Jezuitski Square 4) introduces on various occasions the Croatian and foreign cultural and artistic heritage. The Art Pavilion (King Tomislav Square 22) is the oldest exhibition complex in the Slavic south with regularly organized exhibitions. The exhibitions are also held in the impressive Mestrovic's building on Hrvatskih Velikana Square - the Home of the Croatian Fine Artists. The Museum of Naive Art (Cirilometodska Street 3) disposes of more than one thousand works by a hundred and odd authors of the Croatian naive art. The World Centre "Wonder of Croatian Naive Art" (Ban Jelacic Square 12) exhibits masterpieces of the Croatian naive art as well as works of new generation of artists. The Modern Gallery (Hebrangova Street 1) comprises all relevant fine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The city offers rich cultural and artistic enjoyment. There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theatres and stages. The Croatian National Theatre is the most impressive building among them; the most famous of concert halls is the Concert Hall "Vatroslav Lisinski", named after the composer of the first Croatian opera.

Zagreb hosts many domestic and international events. The World Festival of Animated Films takes place each even year, and the Music Bien-nial, the international festival of avant-garde music, every odd year. The Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic and the famous flowers exhibition Floraart (end of May or beginning of June), the Old-timer Rally, the Week of the Contemporary Dance, as well as Eurokaz, the international festival of contemporary theatre (in June) represent annual events. In the summer, theatre performances and concerts, mostly in the Upper Town, are organized, either indoors or outdoors. The stage on Opatovina hosts the Zagreb Histrionic Summer.

Zagreb is also the host of Zagrebfest, the oldest Croatian pop-music festival, as well as of several traditional international sports events and tournaments. On the Statehood Day (30th of May), a national holiday sometimes accompanied by a military parade at Jarun Lake, and the Day of the City of Zagreb (16th of November) special festivities are organized. Entertainment can be found in many discotheques, night clubs, casinos, etc.

Numerous shops, boutiques, store houses and shopping centres offer a variety of good quality clothes. World famous Zagreb souvenirs include: the ball-point pen, invented by Slavoljub Penkala from Zagreb more than 80 years ago, or the tie, an accessory named after Croatian horsemen who fought on the European fronts from the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century up to the French Revolution, wearing characteristic scarves around their necks. The offer of Zagreb includes good-quality crystal, china and ceramics, nice wicker or straw baskets, top-quality Croatian wines and gastronomic products.

Many of the Zagreb restaurants offer various specialities of the national and international cuisine. Domestic products which deserve to be tasted include the turkey, duck or goose with "mlinci" (a kind of pasta), "strukli" (cottage-cheese strudel), cottage cheese with cream, traditional nut-cake. As Zagreb is close to the sea, fish restaurants offer fresh seafood. There are many fast-food restaurants and stands in Zagreb, so that those who prefer this type of food would not be disappointed.

There are several sports and recreational centres in Zagreb. Recreational Sports Centre Jarun, situ-ated on Lake Jarun to the southwest of the city, has fine shingle beaches. The sports and recreation opportunities include swimming, sunbathing, water-skiing, angling and other water sports, but also beach volleyball, football, basketball, handball, table tennis, miniature golf. A jogging lane runs around the lake. The lake has a regatta course of the world class. There are several restaurants and a discotheque. Sports Park Mladost, situated along the embankment of the Sava river, has an Olympic-size swimming pool, smaller indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sunbathing terrace, 16 tennis courts as well as basketball, volleyball, handball, football and field hockey courts. A volleyball sports hall is within the park.

Sports and Recreational Centre Salata in the northern part of the town, only about a hundred and odd metres from the heart of the town, is most attractive for tennis players. It comprises a big tennis court and eight smaller ones, two of which are roofed over with the so-called "balloon", and another two equipped with lights. The Centre also has swimming pools, basketball and football playgrounds, a gym and fitness centre, a four-line bowling alley. Outdoor ice-skating is a popular winter recreation on Salata. There are several fine restaurants within and near the Centre.

Tennis Centre Maksimir, in the part of the city called Ravnice to the east of Zagreb, consists of two sports blocks. The first comprises a tennis centre situated in a large tennis hall with four courts. There are 22 outdoor tennis courts with lights. The other block offers multipurpose sports facilities: apart from tennis courts, there are handball, basketball, indoor football grounds, as well as track and field facilities, a boccia alley and table tennis opportunities.

Recreational swimmers can enjoy in a smaller-size indoor swimming pool in Daniciceva Street, and skaters can skate in the skating rink on Trg Sportova (Sports Square). Hippodrome Zagreb offers recreational horseback riding opportunities. Skiers visit Sljeme which has four ski-runs, three ski-lifts and a chairlift. There are several smaller sports centres and playgrounds as well as gyms and fitness centres in the city.

Picturesque villages in the close vicinity, Sestine, Gracani and Remete, arranged around the city like beads of a necklace, maintain their rich tradition even today: folk costumes, Sestine umbrellas, gingerbread products, etc. Medvednica Mountain - Zagrebacka Gora, with its highest peak Sljeme (1,033 m), occupies a special place in the lives of the Zagreb population and visitors. A wonderful view spreads on Zagreb, the Sava and the Kupa valleys, the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje from the top of the mountain, and during fair weather, the vista reaches as far as Velebit Mountain and snow-capped peaks of the Slovenian Alps. There are several mountain huts offering accommodation.

The old Medvedgrad, a mediaeval burg built in the 13th century and recently restored, represents Medvednica's special attraction. Now there is the Shrine of the Homeland, a memorial place with eternal flame, where Croatia pays reverence to all its heroes fallen for homeland in its history. Travel agencies organize guided excursions to the surroundings as well as the sightseeing of Zagreb.

Zagreb the capital of Croatia, -situated on the slopes of Medvednica Mountain (Zagrebacka Gora) and along the banks of the Sava river; elevation 120 m. The favourable geographic position in the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides the best valuation of traffic connection between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea. The city core comprises the mediaeval parts of the town called Gradec (Gric) and Kaptol. The construction of the railway embankment (1860) enabled the old suburbs, which did not represent an urban whole up to then, to merge gradually into Donji Grad, characterized by a regular block pattern. Between the two World Wars working-class quarters emerged between the railway and the Sava, and residential quarters on the hills of the southern slopes of Medvednica. The blocks between the railway and the Sava were built after the Second World War, and from the mid-1950s new residential areas south of the Sava river, the so-called Novi Zagreb (New Zagreb). The cargo railway hub and the international airport Pleso were built south of the Sava. The biggest industrial zone (Zitnjak) in the south-east represents an extension of the industrial zones on the western and eastern outskirts of the city, between the Sava and the Prigorje region. Urbanized lines of settlements connect Zagreb with the centres in its surroundings: Sesvete, Zapresic, Samobor, Dugo Selo and Velika Gorica. The traffic position, concentration of industry (metal-processing, electrical appliances, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, printing and leather industries, wood processing, paper etc.), scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position. Zagreb seats central state administrative bodies (legislative, judiciary, executive, monetary, defence, health care, cultural, educational, traffic, etc.). There are three main traffic communications: the western, towards Ljubljana, i.e. West Europe; the eastern, towards South-eastern Europe and the Near East; the south-western, towards Rijeka, Croatia's biggest port. The railway running along the Sutla river and the Zagorje main road (Zagreb - Maribor - Vienna), as well as traffic connections with the Pannonian region and Hungary (the Zagorje railroad, the roads and railway to Varazdin and Koprivnica) are linked with the trunk routes. The railway connection with Bosnia and Herzegovina, along the Una valley to Split, is currently out of use due to thewar damage.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from this website. If you would like to change your preferences you may do so by following the instructions here.